Prison Guard Brutality

Guard and police brutality has always been a touchy subject to discuss. There are many points and factors to take into account when trying to prove a point or make a discussion about this topic. It is in their job description as enforcers of the law to stop people from commuting crimes and to protect society as whole, even if it means using force to disable the criminal. However there comes a point where the officer is no longer protecting society, but is taking advantage of a helpless man or woman. 

One insight on the reality of the situation in prisons was the interview done with Jelpi Picou, an inmate at Orleans Parish Prison. He stated that the prison was in no way up to the legal standards set by the sate for such containment facilities. The guards there ran a drug ring, they encouraged fights, and they took every opportunity they had to inflict harm the prisoners. While the first offense is completely illegal, and the second is the opposite of what they are there to do, the third is what brings up the most controversy. These guards treat the inmates as the scum of the earth, and take the little power they have and blow it out or proportion. They will beat down and inflict bodily harm upon the inmates our of the realm of reason, way beyond the person stopping resisting. Although they are permitted to use force to qualm quarrels, there becomes a point where they are no longer protecting themselves and society, but instead they have become the criminals themselves, beating on a helpless citizen.

This relates to the book the Power of One as to the multiple scenes in the jail where Peekay learns to box. The most obvious connection between this jail and a real life one is when Lieutenant Borman boxes with Geel Piet and kills him. Much like in real life this "incident" goes unnoticed and unreported. These kinds of crimes are, in my opinion, as bad as any crime that can get you into these prisons and jails. This obvious abuse of power is disgusting and should be punished with jail time itself.

Police brutality is another topic that is along the same line of guard brutality, which brings up the current topic of the Micheal Brown in Ferguson. When the police shot the unarmed boy in cold blood, people began to riot in the streets. The injustice of it all, the poor boy was unarmed, he didn't even do anything to offend the officer. But the officer says that the boy was resisting and he needed to use force to protect himself. Doesn't this situation sound just a little familiar? The problem is when it happens behind bars to already convicted criminals it doesn't matter, but if the exact same thing happens to a "free innocent man" then it is the end of the world. 

The difference between these two acts is negligible, and they are both a serious crime that needs to be reprimanded. If the nation were to get together and stand behind fighting guard brutality and abuse like they do for cases like Micheal Brown's, this problem could be solved.